JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The deadline for 15 Jacksonville internet cafes to shut down passed at 5 p.m. on Monday.
If these businesses did not comply, owners and operators were warned they would face fines, possible arrests, and potential condemnation of their properties.
Action News Jax previously reported that 23 businesses received 7-day notices informing them that the time to pack up was approaching.
The notice stated, “It has been determined that this facility is operating without a valid and effective Certificate of Use and that it has or may have one or more Simulated Gambling Devices in operation. In light of this determination, you shall have until 5:00 PM on June 17, 2019 to cease using or operating any Simulated Gambling Devices.”
Failing to meet the deadline could be costly, as the notice outlined: “Any person who is an owner, manager, supervisor, provider, producer, possessor, or user may be subject to civil penalties of up to $250 per Simulated Gambling Device illegally provided or operated, with each day and each device constituting a separate violation.”
The letter also warned, “Properties that continue operating Simulated Gambling Devices after 5:00 PM on June 17, 2019 shall be declared unsafe and may be condemned or otherwise terminated as a public nuisance, including termination of electrical utilities. Continued occupancy beyond that time may subject any persons physically present inside such condemned structure to immediate arrest.”
The City allowed business operators 24 hours to remove personal belongings.
If the businesses are not shut down by Wednesday, the City said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) would begin making arrests for trespassing and the properties would be condemned.
The City of Jacksonville reported that six of the 23 businesses that received letters had approved Certificates of Use (COUs) and thus would not be forced to close immediately.
Two of the businesses appealed the decision, leaving 15 to shut down by 5 p.m. Monday.
Action News Jax investigator Ryan Nelson visited a few locations slated for closure. A woman working at the Dockside Game Room on Mayport said the business was one of two that appealed to stay open longer. “We filed an injunction and we’re trying to get a certificate of occupancy,” she said. “They won’t issue it.”
Nelson also visited the Winner’s Internet Cafe on Mayport. He and local arcade customer Mike Pronto arrived at the internet cafe around the same time. According to city records, The Winners Internet Cafe and the Dockside Game Room both received letters and did not have approved COUs.
The doors appeared to lock from the inside as Nelson approached the Winners Internet Cafe. Though Nelson knocked, and an operator seemed to be inside, nobody answered.
“Man, it hurts my feelings because I hung around here, I live close by here,” said Pronto.
The city is giving the 15 arcades 24 hours to remove their personal belongings. If the businesses are not cleared out by Wednesday, operators and possibly customers could be arrested for trespassing by JSO. The properties will then be condemned.
Businesses with COUs will have until February 1, 2020, to shut down operations.
This crackdown follows a city law passed in late May to close these businesses, citing more than 28,000 calls for service at about 90 simulated gambling businesses from January 2013 through September 2018.
Pronto said he’ll find entertainment elsewhere. “I’ll go play bingo maybe,” he said.
